Focus Groups

A focus group is a moderated discussion that typically involves 5 to 10 participants. Through a focus group, you can learn about users’ attitudes, beliefs, desires, and reactions to concepts.

How a Focus Group Differs from a Usability Test or Contextual Interview

Focus groups are a traditional market research technique. Marketing departments are often more familiar with focus groups than with usability testing or contextual interviews. However, the techniques produce different kinds of information.

In a typical focus group, participants talk. During the focus group users tell you about their experiences or expectations but you don’t get to verify or observe these experiences.

In a typical usability test or contextual interview, users act. As a result, you are able to watch (and listen to) them and draw conclusions from that.

Choosing Participants

An important aspect of focus groups is getting the feedback from your target audiences/ demographics.

When recruiting, researchers usually select participants based on specific traits or characteristics, including:

Age

Occupation

Experience

Education

Ethnicity

Conducting Focus Groups

When conducting a focus group:

Decide on the range of topics you would like to cover before the session

Pretest questions to ensure they are clear and logical

Develop open-ended questions to encourage discussion

Arrange questions in a way that flows naturally

Hire a skilled moderator to facilitate the discussion

Create a script so the moderator knows what to ask and which topics to cover

Allow the moderator to change the order of questions and topics to keep the discussion flowing smoothly